CAIRO (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has about seven countries send warships to keep the open, but his appeals have brought no commitments as during the .
The president declined to name the countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude that the administration is negotiating with to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth of the world鈥檚 traded oil normally flows.
鈥淚鈥檓 demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their own territory,鈥� Trump said about the strait, claiming the shipping channel is not something the United States needs because of its own access to oil. Trump spoke while answering reporters鈥� questions as he flew back to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One.
Trump said China gets about 90% of its oil from the strait, while the U.S. gets a minimal amount. He declined to discuss whether China will join the coalition.
鈥淚t would be nice to have other countries police that with us, and we鈥檒l help. We鈥檒l work with them,鈥� Trump said. Previously, he has appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier told CBS that Tehran has been 鈥渁pproached by a number of countries鈥� seeking safe passage for their vessels, 鈥渁nd this is up to our military to decide.鈥� He said a group of vessels from 鈥渄ifferent countries鈥� had been allowed to pass, without providing details.
Iran has said the strait is open to all except the United States and its allies.
Araghchi added that 鈥渨e don鈥檛 see any reason why we should talk with Americans鈥� about finding a way to end the war, noting that Israel and the U.S. started the fighting with coordinated attacks on Feb. 28 during on Iran’s nuclear program. He also said Tehran had 鈥渘o plan to recover鈥� the enriched uranium that is under rubble following U.S. and Israeli attacks last year.
Countries are cautious after Trump’s call
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC earlier Sunday that he has been 鈥渋n dialogue鈥� with some of the countries Trump had mentioned previously, and said he expected China 鈥渨ill be a constructive partner鈥� in reopening the strait.
But countries made no promises.
Britain said Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday discussed with Trump the importance of reopening the strait “to end the disruption to global shipping,鈥� and spoke with Canada鈥檚 prime minister about it separately.
Aboard Air Force One, Trump specifically named Starmer, who he said initially declined to put British aircraft carriers 鈥渋nto harm鈥檚 way.鈥�
鈥淲hether we get support or not, but I can say this, and I said to them: We will remember,鈥� Trump said.
A spokesperson for China鈥檚 embassy to the U.S., Liu Pengyu, said previously that 鈥渁ll parties have the responsibility to ensure stable and unimpeded energy supply鈥� and that China would 鈥渟trengthen communication with relevant parties鈥� for de-escalation.
South Korea鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said it 鈥渢akes note鈥� of Trump鈥檚 call and that it 鈥渨ill closely coordinate and carefully review鈥� the situation with the U.S.
Expectations are high that Trump will ask Japan directly when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets him on Thursday at the White House.
France previously said it is working with countries 鈥� President Emmanuel Macron mentioned partners in Europe, India and Asia 鈥� on a possible international mission to escort ships through the strait but has stressed it must be when 鈥渢he circumstances permit,鈥� when fighting has subsided.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul of Germany, which was not mentioned in Trump’s call, told ARD television: 鈥淲ill we soon be an active part of this conflict? No.鈥�
Meanwhile, emergency oil stocks 鈥渨ill soon start flowing to global markets,鈥� the International Energy Agency said Sunday, describing the collective action to lower prices 鈥渂y far the largest ever.鈥�
It updated last week鈥檚 announcement of 400 million barrels to nearly 412 million. Asian member countries plan to release stocks 鈥渋mmediately,鈥� and reserves from Europe and the Americas will be released 鈥渇rom the end of March.鈥�
Trump didn鈥檛 directly answer whether his administration is talking about selling oil futures as a way to cap surging oil prices.
鈥淭he prices are going to come tumbling down as soon as it鈥檚 over. And it鈥檚 going to be over pretty quickly,鈥� he told reporters.
More missile and drone attacks are reported
Gulf Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, reported a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates 鈥� the first time it has threatened a neighboring .
Dubai temporarily suspended flights at its international airport 鈥� the world’s busiest 鈥� after a drone hit a fuel tank and caused a fire. Civil defense crews contained the blaze and no injuries were reported, authorities said.
Tehran has claimed that Friday’s U.S. strikes on , home to Iran鈥檚 primary oil terminal, were launched from the UAE, without providing evidence. It has threatened to attack U.S.-linked 鈥渙il, economic and energy infrastructures鈥� if its oil infrastructure is hit.
U.S. Central Command said it had no response to Iran鈥檚 claim, and Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, rejected it. Gulf countries that host U.S. bases have denied allowing their land or airspace to be used for military operations against Iran.
Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Arab Gulf neighbors during , causing significant damage and rattling economies even as most are intercepted. Tehran says it targets U.S. assets, even as Iranian strikes are reported at civilian sites such as airports and oil fields.
War’s toll mounts across the region
Iranian strikes civilians in Gulf countries, most of them migrant workers.
In Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent said more than 1,300 people have been killed. Iran鈥檚 Health Ministry said 223 women and 202 children are among the dead, according to Mizan, the judiciary鈥檚 official news agency.
Iran鈥檚 government on Sunday showed journalists buildings damaged by strikes in Tehran on Friday. A police station was hit and surrounding buildings were damaged. Some apartments鈥� outer walls had been stripped away.
鈥淕od had mercy on all of us,鈥� said Elham Movagghari, a resident. Other Iranians are .
In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire and more have been injured, including three on Sunday. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed, six last week.
At least 820 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to its Health Ministry, since Iran-backed Hezbollah hit Israel and Israel responded with strikes and sent additional troops into southern Lebanon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people 鈥� nearly one out of every seven residents of Lebanon 鈥� have been displaced.
More Iranian missile strikes hit Israel
Israel鈥檚 military said early Monday that Iran launched missiles toward Israel.
Earlier, several strikes hit central Israel and the Tel Aviv area, where they caused damage at 23 sites and sparked a small fire. Magen David Adom, Israel鈥檚 rescue service, released video showing a large crater in a street and shrapnel damage to an apartment building.
Israel鈥檚 military says Iran is firing and scatter submunitions across multiple locations. ___
This version corrects to say Araghchi was speaking to CBS, not NBC as previously reported.
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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, Weissert from aboard Air Force One, Frankel from Jerusalem and Anna from Lowville, New York. Contributing were Associated Press journalists Darlene Superville, Fatima Hussein and Tia Goldenberg in Washington; Sally Abou AlJoud and Fadi Tawil in Beirut; John Leicester in Paris; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.
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